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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fan · tear · bass · rule · pitcher · field · bowl · vault

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. tear — to rip
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. field — for sport
  8. rule — government
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. tear — from crying
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. vault — a safe
  16. bass — low music
  17. tear — from crying
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. bass — the fish
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. rule — a law
  23. field — farmland
  24. field — a subject

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com